Religious Wars Lecture I
History M01B - Krister Swanson - Moorpark College
Reformation+Politics = Religious
Wars
- 4
basic conflicts:
- French
- Spanish
& Dutch
- English
& Spanish
- 30
Years War
- Religious
tolerance only where rulers put religion behind politics
Calvinists vs. RCs
- Calvinists
clash with RCs rejuvenated by CR
- Calvinists
localize, RC’s centralize (rel & pol)
- Calvinists
like simple & straightforward (Wren), RCs
like elaborate (Baroque)
- 1559-
Haps-Val Wars end, internal conflict starts w/ death of Henry II...
The French Conflict begins
- Guises
(RC) vs. Bourbons (H)
- Many
powerful French resist Guise monarchy by joining Huguenots (2/5 of
aristocracy)
- Catherine
(mother of young kings) wants RC France but fears Guise power
- 1562-
Duke of Guise massacres Protestants at Vassy
& begins…
French wars of religion (H’s v. CL)
- Coligny
wants Charles IX to invade Netherlands
to help Prot. Cause (fighting Phillip II)
- Catherine
tells king Hugs are attempting a coup è
Prot. Leaders must die è
- St. Bartholemew’s Day Massacre (8/24/1572):
- 3,000
Hugs are killed in Paris,
20,000 more w/in next few days
- Pope
Gregory XIII & Phillip II of Spain
cheer (France withdraws
from Netherlands)
Protestant Reaction
- Prots think “fight to the death”
- forget
“obedience to worldly authority”
- John
Knox is leading voice in Calvinist resistance
Henry III (1574-1589)
- Tries
to take middle ground with help of politiques
(Peace of Beaulieu in 1576)
- 1587:
CL forces him back into fight against Huguenots led by Henry of Navarre
- 1588:
Henry III has duke & cardinal of Guise killed (plotting against him),
Henry III allies w/ Navarre
- 1589:
Henry III is assassinated
Henry IV Brings Peace
- Henry
of Navarre becomes Henry IV (married to Henry III’s
sister), Pope Sixtus V and Phillip II freak out
- Spain
directly helps CL
- Henry
IV decides to embrace RC, provides
tolerance with the Edict of Nantes
- Edict:
Huguenots are free to worship, assemble, go to universities and public
places, and fortify towns
- CL
breaks up - Henry IV sets stage for absolutism of Louis XIV by rebuilding France
with the Duke of Sully
The Dutch Revolt
- The Netherlands
(wealthy & valuable)is under Haps control
- 1550s:
independent towns, increasingly Calvinist (threat to Ch. & St.)
- Phillip
II is at height of power (wealth from NW, control of Med., efficient
bureaucracy, patron)
- depends
on Neth. for $$$ & staging point for
invasion of England
(vs. Elizabeth)
Phillip II Goes to Work
- 1561-
Cardinal Granvelle sent in to centralize Ch.
& gov’tèWm.
of Orange leads resistance, unrest grows, Granville forced out
- 1567-
Phillip II sends troops & Alba to collect taxes and wipe out
Protestants (says he’s enforcing Trent)
- Alba
executes thousands but brute force doesn’t work
Orange Returns from Exile
- Spanish
win battles, Dutch hang in w/ piracy, guerilla war & English help
- Violence
grows worse, Calvinist ministers encourage killing of Spaniards, leading Prots are tortured & executed
- Spanish
Fury (1576) è union of
lower 10 + upper 7 provinces (Pacification of Ghent)
- Spanish
withdraw in 1577
- 1579- Spain regains control in south (becomes
modern day Belgium)
who fear Calvinist extremists, the Treaty of Arras takes southern 10 out
of revolt
Northern Provinces
fight on
- 1579-
Northern 7 form Union of Utrecht, can’t agree on ruler
- Spain keeps trying to regain control,
Phillip also busy with France
& England
(he’s overextended)
- 1581-
Dutch declare Ind., Orange is killed in 1584 - son takes
reins
- 1588-
Phillip sends Armada vs. Dutch & English, it fails
- Finally
in 1648 Peace of Westphalia recognizes Dutch Republic